Phytosanitary Issues Management

The Phytosanitary Issues Management (PIM) unit facilitates and negotiates, through the use of scientifically based processes, the safe export and import of agricultural commodities.

Consistent with its responsibilities as the recognized National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) for the United States under the International Plant Protection Convention, acting on behalf of the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) does the following:

Serves as the primary point of contact for communications with trading partners (NPPO) concerning phytosanitary issues.

Works to remove trade technical barriers by:

Encouraging trading partners to harmonize with international standards and guidelines;

Initiating and presenting scientific and technical studies to support safe, science-based trade;

Building domestic and international consensus among trading partners, industry, scientific community, PPQ and other US agencies for feasible, science-based solutions to technical trade barriers;

Working with the PPQ field organization and state regulatory officers to implement new programs and procedures to support science-based trade.

Manages an internationally accepted system of phytosanitary certification in accordance with international standards.